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COVID-19 intensified interest in telemedicine, yet no study has evaluated the use of a telepresence robot on unselected urological patients. Therefore, we performed a survey study of patients, bedside caregivers and urologists, investigating the satisfaction and applicability of a telepresence robot (Beam Pro, Suitable Technologies, USA) at the urology ward and emergency department. The primary outcome was the number of patient encounters solved without the urologist’s physical presence. Between March 2021 and May 2021, patients, caregivers, and urologists filled in 42, 35, and 54 questionnaires, respectively. Most patients were male (79%), with a mean age of 64 ( SD ± 17 ). Two of the department’s ten urologists participated. The urologists responded that physical examination was required in 7 (13%) encounters. The caregivers would have preferred the urologist physically present in 11 (31%) cases. Most patients (71%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they were willing to be attended by a telepresence robot at future evaluations and generally, patients gave high satisfaction scores. Though implementation among the department’s urologists was a major challenge, participating urologists reported that physical presence could be avoided in 87% of the patient encounters. Studies of patient-reported outcome measures comparing telemedical and physical patient encounters are needed.

Background Rising life expectancy and ageing population are current phenomena that European society is facing and these are challenges for the European healthcare systems. To face them, several e-health solutions are already designed to optimize resources of the healthcare provider system. However, most of them are not being implemented or deployed. Some of the reasons are the lack of digital skills and innovation readiness in staff, and existing barriers to changing organizational practices. Objectives The DISH project (601008-EPP-1-2018-1-DK-EPPKA2-SSA) will develop 3 concepts to improve the digitalization of healthcare staff to help them in the use of e-health solutions already developed: 1)Learning Innovation Units, where healthcare staff, SMEs and educational institutions work together for improving the e-health solutions development and implementation; 2)On the job training, where healthcare staff will be trained in e-health and digital competences; 3)Assessment, where competences accomplished by healthcare staff will be recognized. All these concepts will be tested in 6 EU countries. Results The development of the 3 concepts is based on a needs analysis on present and future competences required to support the implementation of e-health solutions in Denmark, Norway, UK, Germany, Spain and Poland. Also, each country will test the 3 concepts and train 100 healthcare staff in the use of an e-solution/innovation already developed but not being fully implemented. An evaluation of the achieved skills/competences by the staff will be also conducted. Conclusions Healthcare workers and SMEs show willingness and motivation in contributing to the digitalization but there is a clear lack of digital skills (although this is different from country to country) to make easier the adoption in daily practice of such solutions. The project looks for promoting close collaboration between the interested parties to work together in overcoming the stated deficiency. Key messages The DISH concepts will facilitate a training framework for healthcare professionals in the use of digital solutions. The DISH project will promote the use of several innovations already available in the market.

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of the distance learning programme on learning processes in nursing education. It was the purpose to highlight the differences and similarities in the traditional nursing programme vs. the distance learning programme. Empirically, the article builds on a comparative study of two Danish nursing schools and three different nursing classes, including one based on the distance learning programme. The three different nursing classes cover the ways of studying in nursing education in Denmark. Observations were conducted with the classes as a whole. Interviews were conducted with 7 students from the distance learning programme, 6 from the traditional programme and 5 from the credit transfer class. The interpretative approach was selected to form the background of this study. The observation, as well as the interview guide was formed on the basis of Etienne Wengers theory: “Learning in communities of practice”. The analysis was based on concepts from the same theoretical background, as the observations and interviews. Findings from the study show that the distance-learning students have a selective and targeted way of engaging in communities of practice. Findings in relation to age, to being well prepared and feeling responsible for own learning, in relation to doing a self study and to knowledge forms, seem to have precise relevance for the differences between the ways of studying in nursing education.

The Danish educations, as well as the Danish society, are influenced by technology in many ways. This amongst other influences the student’s choices regarding educational learning material. These issues, however, are not solely issues in relation to Danish educations but can be generalized across contexts. This article, however, presents a discussion of the findings in a Danish study regarding the use of educational textbooks among students in Denmark. The study examines the use of the traditional educational textbooks in terms of how it is used, to what extent it is used, the students' wishes regarding textbooks vs online books and if there are educational and gender differences in their preferences. The study also investigates the student way of handling the textbooks such as sharing, copying, selling and buying etc. in the discussion section the study will compare themes identified in this study across educational contexts, and will thus not solely focus on Danish education contexts. Empirically, the study builds on a survey conducted among students in the Bachelor Programmes, the Vocational Educational Programmes regarding the Health Care Educations and in the General Upper Secondary Schools. The study includes a response from 1146 students. The article discusses the findings with perspectives such as work methods, communication, and interaction, and concludes among others that even though the students still prefer the textbooks, the ebooks in some ways supplement this use in a beneficial manner. The article argues that the textbook and the ebook should not be seen as each other’s competitors but rather as each other’s supplement in terms of learnings styles.